Despite running for seven seasons and keeping a grueling filming schedule, the central cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation didn't experience much turnover. In fact, of the regular cast who appeared in the series premiere and the series finale, only one character was absent. Wesley Crusher (played by Wil Wheaton) left Star Trek: The Next Generation early in the fourth season for a mix of personal and professional reasons. Still, Wesley returned a handful of times, and Wil Wheaton is still an active participant in Gene Roddenberry's universe. Despite Wheaton's unbridled enthusiasm for all things Star Trek and his experiences as part of The Next Generation family, his time playing the character wasn't the nerd's dream everyone thought it was.

The fans were harshly critical of Wesley Crusher, and the line "Shut up, Wesley!" from Season 1, Episode 13 became an early internet meme. In a promotional special, The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next, Roddenberry said the genesis of the character was himself at age 14, and "Wesley" was his middle name. Though, the Great Bird of the Galaxy admitted he was never the genius the eventual Starfleet cadet was in the series. Despite these struggles with Wesley Crusher's character, it was behind-the-scenes problems that inspired Wheaton to leave Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Wesley Crusher Went From Boy Genius to Star Trek Time-Travel God

Wesley was the only son of Doctor Beverly Crusher and her late husband Jack, the best friend of Captain Picard. He was a deeply curious boy, but he was often treated harshly by the crew and its captain. In the sixth episode of Season 1, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Wesley befriends and impresses the mysterious Traveler, an alien with strange abilities. At the end of that episode, despite his disdain for children, Captain Picard promotes Wesley to "Acting Ensign" allowing him to serve on the bridge in advance of his application to Starfleet Academy.

Wesley's time in Starfleet Academy was tumultuous despite his genius and experience serving on the Enterprise. He failed the entrance exam the first time he took it, though so did Captain Picard. Once he was accepted, he left the ship and only appeared in a few episodes. While at the Academy, he joined Nova Squadron led by Nick Locarno. He was part of a cover-up with the squad, hiding the death of a classmate while performing a forbidden flight maneuver. After admitting the truth, he had to repeat that year at the Academy.

In Star Trek: TNG's final season, Wesley Crusher returned to the Enterprise on leave from the Academy. His grades were dropping, and he was in danger of failing out of the program. He challenged Starfleet's and the captain's orders in order to stand up for a colony of Native Americans being forcibly removed from their home to appease the Cardassians. He experienced a vision of his father, Jack, telling him Starfleet wasn't his path. Instead, Wesley joined the Traveler to ascend to "another plane of existence" paying off the arc that began in the first season. What that meant, however, remained a mystery.

Wil Wheaton Was the 'Big Name' on Star Trek: TNG

The youngest TNG character went through some changes in development. Legendary Star Trek producer Robert H. Justman lobbied to make "Wesley" into "Leslie," according to Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion by Larry Nemecek, but Roddenberry eventually overruled the decision. They also struggled to come up with a justification for why this young man was so special, earning a coveted position on the bridge. In a memo, Justman wrote that Wesley's youth gave him a brash, assertive nature the adults on the crew lacked, making him "a one-man 'think tank' without pre-conditioned limitations.'"

Despite LeVar Burton's iconic role in Roots and the popularity of Reading Rainbow, it was Wil Wheaton who was the "big name" in the cast. Best known as Gordie in Stand By Me, the burgeoning movie star jumped at the chance to be in The Next Generation. "I was a Trekkie," Wheaton said in The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. However, Wheaton said that even he was annoyed by how Wesley was written, calling him "pretentious." When he was offered a role in a film directed by Milos Forman, The Next Generation producers wouldn't let him do it. They told him he was going to be in a "really important to the series" episode during the filming window, but Wheaton said the producer "just lied to me." Wheaton also revealed that "years later," Deanna Troi actor Marina Sirtis told him she'd heard the producers were worried the film would make him an even bigger star.

If Wheaton's star rose, "it would have been harder for them to deal with me. I felt so betrayed by that," he said in The Fifty-Year Mission. Despite his love of Star Trek, this slight made Wheaton desperate to leave the series. However, in his memoir, Still Just a Geek, Wheaton detailed how his parents pushed him into acting in the first place, when he wanted "to just be a kid." This neglect, plus instances of abuse on various sets, particularly The Curse, soured him on the profession for many years. Still, Wheaton also maintains his fellow cast on The Next Generation are like family to him. Their love and support helped him and helps explain why he returned to the show for guest-spots. Returning was "like coming home for me," he told Entertainment Tonight in 1992. "I always have a terrific time [on set.] I adore the cast."

Wesley Crusher Returned to Star Trek Twice After Leaving With the Traveler

Despite leaving Starfleet and going off with the Traveler in "Journey's End," Wesley Crusher almost returned. Wheaton filmed scenes for Star Trek: Nemesis at the wedding of Riker and Troi. Wesley was again a Starfleet officer and slated for duty aboard Riker's ship, the USS Titan. However, the scene was cut from the film. In Still Just A Geek, Wheaton wrote about the experience. Even though it ignored Wesley's final episode on The Next Generation, Wheaton enjoyed the experience working with the cast as an adult. While it might have seemed like another slight by Star Trek producers, cutting the scene worked to the advantage of the character.

In Star Trek: Picard Season 2, Wesley Crusher appeared in the 21st Century to Isa Briones's character Kore Soong. He explained that he was part of a group called "the Travelers" who worked to protect the universe, all of reality from "annihilation." It's a difficult job apparently, since the last time Wesley made a joke he apparently changed a century of history. While the Travelers mostly observe, knowing when to act is a crucial part of their task. He recruited Kore into the group, and when she accepted, they both beamed away. The beaming effect was not like those audiences have seen from Starfleet or other species and organizations in the galaxy.

It seems Wesley Crusher and the Travelers were connected to Talinn, played by Orla Brady, in Picard Season 2. She watched over Reneé Picard whose destiny was even more important than her famous starship captain ancestor. The group can also trace itself back to the Season 2 episode of Star Trek: The Original Series "Assignment: Earth" that introduced Gary Seven. An attempt at a spinoff series by Gene Roddenberry, Gary was a not-so-ordinary human tasked with protecting the 20th Century, specifically the space program.

Would Wil Wheaton Return to Star Trek?

Outside of this brief appearance on Picard, Wil Wheaton's involvement with the Star Trek universe has been as a professional fan. As the host of The Ready Room he talks to the actors, producers and others about making this third wave of series. His charm and grace put his guests at ease, because while he's still very much a fan of Star Trek, he's also been where they were. His time on the set and playing Wesley Crusher was both joyous and troubling. Ironically, the character that adult fans hated the most when he debuted is now the best ambassador to the Star Trek fanbase they have.

While Wheaton still does some on-camera work, he's mostly done voice acting of late. Still, Picard Season 3 introduced his half-brother Jack Crusher. Wheaton seemed enthused by the idea of teaming up with actor Ed Speelers for a "Crusher brothers" adventure, either a series or feature. Wesley Crusher's appearance at the end of Season 2 was a lovely coda for a character who deserved better. If that's all fans get, it might be enough. But after all these years, fans would likely be very excited to see Wesley again, especially if he's teaming up with Jack.

Star Trek series are available to stream on Paramount+, and The Ready Room can be found on YouTube.